Noble wrestlers focused on getting back to the top

By Mike Whaley

mwhaley@fosters.com

fosters.com

By Mike Whaley

mwhaley@fosters.com

Posted Jan. 10, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Mike Whaley

mwhaley@fosters.com

Posted Jan. 10, 2013 at 3:15 AM

NORTH BERWICK, Maine — Wednesday’s Class A wrestling meet between Noble High School and Scarborough went pretty much the way Noble coach Kip DeVoll expected it to go, which was a 75-6 victory for the Knights.

DeVoll wishes he could say the same thing about last season.

A promising 2011-12 campaign went sour late in the year when the Knights lost some key wrestlers to academics and other issues. Noble finished a disappointing seventh at the state meet, a shocking fall below the standard that has produced 11 Class A state titles since 1999.

“The kids understand what happened last year,” DeVoll said. “They’re pretty determined to not let it happen again. Grades is what really hurt. We had some other issues, too, but the biggest thing was the grades that hurt us at the end of the season. It is what it is, but those are the things we should have prepared for better as coaches and kept a better eye on it. You start getting good and start not paying attention to little details, that before got you there. We were definitely guilty of that. It comes back on me.”

DeVoll added, “We made a commitment this year. We talked to the kids right after it happened last year and over the summer. We really harped on them about staying up on their grades, more than what we usually do. I feel a lot better than I did at the end of last year.”

The renewed commitment seems to be working.

“So far they seemed to have showed that they’ve learned their lesson,” DeVoll said. “Our seniors are good leaders. They’re strong kids. They set a good example for everybody else. They’re teaching the freshman how we do things the old way here. It’s hard work that pays off in the long run.”

Noble had little trouble with a young and rebuilding Scarborough team. The Knights won five matches by forfeit and another seven by pinfall. The only match to go the distance was Noble’s win by James Hogg at 132 pounds, a 14-7 decision over John Stolz.

The Red Storm averted the shutout with a win by its best wrestler, Bryan Profit, at 160 — a pin of Noble’s John Hamme at 1:18.

“It’s going to be like this for a while,” said second-year Scarborough coach Shane Stephenson. “All I’m looking for is the kids to go out there and work their butts off. That’s all they can do. My philosophy is anyone can be beat on any given day, so work your butt off.”

“We did what we should have done,” DeVoll said. “It’s exactly how the meet should have went. We’re getting into that gruel of having to get after things. We still got some work to do. We have a lot of freshman and sophomores wrestling for us now.”

“We just went out there, did our best, attacked and went after it,” Gagner said. “I mean that’s really our goal from now on, just get after it and do our best.”

Guimond and Gagner were honored before the meet for picking up their 100th career wins. The two turned the trick last month at the Noble Invitational. Guimond did it on the first day (Dec. 28) and Gagner reached the milestone during the second day in the semifinals on Dec. 29.

“We’re using (last year) as a little boost,” Guimond said. “Looking back we won state titles my freshman and sophomore years. We want another one. We’re going to try and do our best, work hard in practice and try and get right back up there.”